Hurricane Isaias hits Category 3 as it closes in on Florida landfall
Hurricane Isaias is now a major Category 3 hurricane ahead of an expected landfall in the Florida Panhandle Friday evening — bringing 100-plus mph winds, up to 9 feet of storm surge and the potential for double-digit rain.
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The Panhandle remains blanketed in storm watches and warning, with mandatory evacuations underway in four counties and a state of emergency declared in 25 counties. On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Floridians to be aware of the storm, particularly the higher-than-usual risk of tornadoes.
“All state resources stand ready to respond and support impacted communities,” he posted on X Friday morning.
The National Hurricane Center said at 1 p.m. Friday that Isaias had 120 mph maximum sustained winds, a Category 3 storm.
For days, forecasters have predicted that a wall of wind shear near the northern Gulf coast would help cut the storm down just before landfall, bringing slightly lower winds but a broader storm ashore. However, on Friday afternoon, the hurricane center said the storm might maintain major hurricane status through landfall.
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“Weakening will occur after landfall, but sustained hurricane-force winds will likely occur near and along Isaias’s track up to 100 miles inland from the coast into southern Alabama, and gusts to hurricane force could extend even farther north into central Alabama,” forecasters said at 12 p.m.
Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall near Pensacola late Friday or early Saturday, but its high winds and heavy rains — as well as tornado risk — extend far outside the direct landfall area. The hurricane center predicts 4 to 8 inches of rain for the Panhandle, or up to 15 inches in some spots.
This story was originally published October 9, 2026 at 7:40 AM with the headline “Hurricane Isaias hits Category 3 as it closes in on Florida landfall.”
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